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The Widow and her Hero

By Thomas KeneallyRead by Beverley Dunn and David Tredinnick

Downloadable audio file

£P.O.R.

By the author of SCHINDLER'S ARK, an enthralling, thought-provoking story of wartime exploits, and the price paid for men's misguided heroism by their widows

In 1943, when Grace and Leo Waterhouse married in Australia, they were part of a young generation ready to sacrifice themselves to win the war, while being confident they would survive. Sixty years on, as Grace recounts what happened to her doomed hero, she can say what she suspected then: that for many men, bravery is its own end. The tale she tells is one of great love, lost innocence, a charismatic but unstable Irish commander, dashing undercover missions against the Japanese in Singapore, and - in her eyes - reckless, foolhardy exploits. As fresh details continue to emerge, Grace is forced to keep revising her picture of what happened to Leo and his fellow commandoes - until she learns about the final piece in the jigsaw, and an ultimate betrayal.

As absorbing as it is thought-provoking, this timely novel poses unsettling questions about what drives men to battle and heroic deeds, and movingly conveys the life-long effect on those who survive them.

(P)2007 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Other details

ISBN:
9781473610996

Publication date:
27 Nov 2014

Page count:

Imprint:
Sceptre

Hodder & Stoughton

A Gift in December

Jenny Gladwell

Miracle Creek

Angie Kim

Authors:

Angie Kim

A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng about how far we'll go to protect our families?and our deepest secretsMy husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn't even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first . . .In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine?a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic "dives" with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility. But when the Miracle Submarine mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos' small community.Who or what caused the explosion? Was it the mother of one of the patients, who claimed to be sick that day but was smoking down by the creek? Or was it Young and Pak themselves, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? The ensuing trial uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night?trysts in the woods, mysterious notes, child-abuse charges?as well as tense rivalries and alliances among a group of people driven to extraordinary degrees of desperation and sacrifice.Angie Kim's Miracle Creek is a thoroughly contemporary take on the courtroom drama, drawing on the author's own life as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a real-life "submarine" patient. Both a compelling page-turner and an excavation of identity and the desire for connection, Miracle Creek is a brilliant, empathetic debut from an exciting new voice.

The Book of Science and Antiquities

Thomas Keneally

A Spark of Light

Jodi Picoult

Authors:

Jodi Picoult

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A writer the world needs to be reading right now' The Independent'An apposite and nuanced novel... Picoult writes about an emotive, controversial issue with unflinching precision.' Red'A very special novel about a very difficult subject.' Grazia'Her intelligent, meticulously researched novels explore ethical dilemmas through heartrending, headline-grabbing scenarios' The Sunday TimesThe Center for women's reproductive health offers a last chance at hope - but nobody ends up there by choice.Its very existence is controversial, and to the demonstrators who barricade the building every day, the service it offers is no different from legalised murder.Now life and death decisions are being made horrifyingly real: a lone protester with a gun has taken the staff, patients and visitors hostage.Starting at the tensest moment in the negotiations for their release, A Spark of Light unravels backwards, revealing hour by urgent hour what brought each of these people - the gunman, the negotiator, the doctors, nurses and women who have come to them for treatment - to this point.And certainties unwind as truths and secrets are peeled away, revealing the complexity of balancing the right to life with the right to choose.

The End of Loneliness

Benedict Wells

A Keeper

Graham Norton

Authors:

Graham Norton

*** SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS ***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'A compelling and moving story, expertly told, that will draw you in and keep you in its grip until the last page.' DAILY EXPRESS'Magnificent ... his writing is evocative and perfect. His grasp of human loneliness and longing is beautiful and comforting.' MARIAN KEYES'Atmospheric, creepy and impossible to put down.' the TIMES'I raved about Holding two years ago ... A Keeper is even better. A powerful, very sad story, beautiful writing, two time frames that are perfectly balanced. Outstanding. Will easily be one of my books of 2018.' JOHN BOYNE'A gripping, thoughtful tale about the search for identity, belonging and self-possession.' OBSERVER'Moving and darkly funny.' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Smart, well-written and thoroughly entertaining.' IRISH INDEPENDENT'It's a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present.' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Charming and tender, a complete joy.' SUNDAY MIRROR'Perfectly crafted, a beautiful, gripping account of Irish memory and deceit. A terrific achievement.' ANDREW O'HAGANFrom the bestselling author of Holding comes a masterly tale of secrets and ill-fated loves set on the coast of Ireland.Dear Lonely Leinster Lady, I'm not really sure how to begin . . .The truth drifts out to sea, riding the waves out of sight. And then the tide turns.Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother's death, intent only on wrapping up that dismal part of her life. There is nothing here for her; she wonders if there ever was. The house of her childhood is stuffed full of useless things, her mother's presence already fading. And perhaps, had she not found the small stash of letters, the truth would never have come to light. 40 years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet but for the tireless wind that circles her as she hurries further into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.This compelling new novel confirms Graham Norton's status as a fresh, literary voice, bringing his clear-eyed understanding of human nature and its darkest flaws.* * *Praise for Holding, winner of the Irish Book Awards' Book of the Year 2016'Poised and perceptive' Sunday Times'... a deftly plotted story as moving as it is compelling' Sunday Mirror'Deeply accomplished ... brilliantly observed' Good Housekeeping'... one of the more authentic debuts I've read in recent years ... in such an understated manner, eschewing linguistic eccentricity ... in favour of genuine characters and tender feeling ... this is a fine novel' John Boyne, Irish Times'It is beautiful and yet devastatingly sad' Daily Express'Strenuously charming ... surprisingly tender' Metro 'Heartwarming and observant' Stylist

Moscow, Midnight

John Simpson

Authors:

John Simpson

MP Patrick Macready has been found dead in his flat. The coroner rules it an accident, a sex game gone wrong. Jon Swift is from the old stock of journos - cynical, cantankerous and overweight - and something about his friend's death doesn't seem right. Then days after Macready's flat is apparently burgled, Swift discovers that his friend had been researching a string of Russian government figures who had met similarly 'accidental' fates. When the police refuse to investigate further, Swift gets in touch with his contacts in Moscow, determined to find out if his hunch is correct. Following the lead, he is soon drawn into a violent underworld, where whispers of conspiracies, assassinations and double-agents start blurring the line between friend and foe.But the truth will come at a price, and it may cost him everything.

The Scarlet Nightingale

Alan Titchmarsh

Authors:

Alan Titchmarsh

As war rages across Europe, one young woman is torn between love and loyalty.Set in wartime London and occupied France, this is a thrilling story of love, danger and sacrifice from bestselling novelist Alan Titchmarsh.It is the late 1930s when seventeen-year-old Rosamund Hanbury leaves behind the endless summers of her coastal Devonshire home for the fast pace of high society London. Under the expert guidance of her formidable aunt, the country mouse learns how to act like a lady, hosting dinner parties and rubbing shoulders with Britain's most influential. And when the enigmatic Harry Napier sweeps her off her feet at London's famous Café de Paris she could almost forget that Britain has declared war. But the Phoney War ends. Harry is posted, London reels from the first bombings of the Blitz and Rosamund suffers a devastating personal loss that leaves her all the more determined to do her bit for the war effort. Joining the Special Forces she is sent to work alongside the Resistance on a top secret mission in France. It is here that her courage and loyalty are truly put to the test. And where she learns that no one is what they seem: at home or abroad ...

Gwendy's Button Box

Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

Now We Shall Be Entirely Free

Andrew Miller

Authors:

Andrew Miller

The rapturously acclaimed new novel by the Costa Award-winning author of PURE, hailed as 'excellent', 'gripping', 'as suspenseful as any thriller', 'engrossing', 'moving' and 'magnificent'.One rainswept winter's night in 1809, an unconscious man is carried into a house in Somerset. He is Captain John Lacroix, home from Britain's disastrous campaign against Napoleon's forces in Spain.Gradually Lacroix recovers his health, but not his peace of mind. He will not - cannot - talk about the war or face the memory of what took place on the retreat to Corunna. After the command comes to return to his regiment, he lights out instead for the Hebrides, unaware that he has far worse to fear than being dragged back to the army: a vicious English corporal and a Spanish officer with secret orders are on his trail.In luminous prose, Miller portrays a man shattered by what he has witnessed, on a journey that leads to unexpected friendships, even to love. But as the short northern summer reaches its zenith, the shadow of the enemy is creeping closer. Freedom, for John Lacroix, will come at a high price. Taut with suspense, this is an enthralling, deeply involving novel by one of Britain's most acclaimed writers.'His writing suspends life until it is read and is a source of wonder and delight' Hilary Mantel on Casanova in the Sunday Times

Four

Andy Jones

Authors:

Andy Jones

Two couples. One reckless night. 'Secrets and lies have a nasty habit of coming out at the least appropriate time . . . moving, thought-provoking and beautifully written' Daily Mail'Engaging . . . an incredibly emotional story' The Book Bag'We love this novel and didn't see the ending coming. . .' Closer**************In the time they've known each other, Sally, Al and Mike have shared - well, almost everything.Sally and Al have been married for seven years, though now their relationship is hanging by a thread.Sally and Mike have been best friends since university. And on many occasions something more.Mike and Al have been friends and colleagues for many years. Yet with Al poised to become Mike's boss, their friendship comes under threat.And now there's Mike and Faye. They haven't been together long, but Mike's pretty sure that, this time, it's the real deal.As the three old friends sit on a train heading towards Brighton to meet Faye, little do they know that after this weekend, the four of them will have shared . . . everything.They all know they have made a mistake. But they could never have imagined the consequences.**************Praise for Andy Jones:'What happens the morning after the night before, when the night before was when you did the most reckless thing of your life? I loved Andy Jones's stylish portrayal of four people who make way too much history in one night, and just couldn't put it down until I found out the fate of each of them' Catherine Isaac'I'm always wary about comparing books but, just this once, I'm going to make an exception because for me this is one of those few novels that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as One Day. It has everything you could want from a romcom and then some' - Sun on The Trouble With Henry and Zoe

The Last of Our Kind

Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre

Earth Storm

Mons Kallentoft

he

John Connolly

Authors:

John Connolly

An extraordinary recreation of one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.Winner of the 2017 Ryan Tubridy Show Listener's Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity and the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists.An extraordinary reimagining of the life of one of the greatest screen comedians the world has ever known: a man who knew both adoration and humiliation; who loved, and was loved in turn; who betrayed, and was betrayed; who never sought to cause pain to others, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake . . . And whose life was ultimately defined by one relationship of such tenderness and devotion that only death could sever it: his partnership with the man he knew as Babe.he is Stan Laurel.But he did not really exist. Stan Laurel was a fiction.With he, John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity, the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists, and one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.

Elmet

Fiona Mozley

Authors:

Fiona Mozley

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2017 AND THE PFD/SUNDAY TIMES YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARDWINNER OF A SOMERSET MAUGHAM AWARD AND THE POLARI PRIZE'A quiet explosion of a book, exquisite and unforgettable' The Economist'A cleverly constructed rural Gothic fable . . . Elmet is a marvellous achievement' TLS'Pastoral idyll, political exposé, cosy family saga and horror tale, it reads like a traditional children's story that turns into a gangster film: Hansel and Gretel meets The Godfather' Sunday TimesDaniel is heading north. He is looking for someone. The simplicity of his early life with Daddy and Cathy has turned menacing and fearful. They lived apart in the house that Daddy built for them in the woods with his bare hands. They foraged and hunted. Cathy was more like their father: fierce and full of simmering anger. Daniel was more like their mother: gentle and kind. Sometimes, their father disappeared, and would return with a rage in his eyes. But when he was at home, he was at peace. He told them that the little copse in Elmet was theirs alone. But that wasn't true. Local men, greedy and watchful, began to circle like vultures. All the while, the terrible violence in Daddy grew.Brutal and beautiful in equal measure, Elmet is a compelling portrayal of a family living on the fringes of contemporary society, as well as a gripping exploration of the disturbing actions people are capable of when pushed to their limits.

Crimes of the Father

Thomas Keneally

The Erstwhile

Brian Catling

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth: If you liked Thirteen Reasons Why, you'll love this

Lindsey Lee Johnson

Authors:

Lindsey Lee Johnson

As recommended by Pandora Sykes on the High Low Show podcast 'I read The Most Dangerous Place on Earth in two chilling gulps. It's a phenomenal first book.'Anthony Doerr, New York times bestselling author of All the Light We Cannot See'You might not think that anyone in this School sees you but I do. I mean sees you really.' Aged thirteen, Tristan Bloch writes a love note to Calista Broderick. He thinks she is perfect. He wants to talk to her. He thinks he loves her. He could help her with her algebra homework. Cally shares the note with her best friend, Abigail, who insists that she shows it to her boyfriend Ryan, who decides to share it on Facebook: and then everyone sees it. Before long, Tristan takes a morning ride to the Golden Gate Bridge, leaves his bike on the against the rail, and jumps. Now, Tristan's classmates are seventeen, dealing with tests and affairs with teachers, pressure from parents and going to parties. These wealthy, privileged teenagers should be the happiest on earth. But the guilt of Tristan's death follows them all... For fans of Netflix's Thirteen Reasons Why, The Secret Place, and The Interestings, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth is a smart, compelling and eye opening read. 'With a stunning constellation of characters' voices and a fiercely compelling story, it's impossible to put down, or to forget.' - Megan Abbott, author of Give Me Your Hand